Magnetic holder for pencils or the like



Oct. 6, 1942. P. J. SMITH MAGNETIC HOLDER FOR PENCILS OR THE LIKE Filed April 14, 1941 Patented Oct. 6, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MAGNETIC HOLDER FOR. PENCILS OR THE 9 Claims.

This invention relates to holders for utilitarian instrumentalities such as pencils, pens and the like and has for an object to provide means for attaching a pencil to and supporting the pencil from various articles in a manner whereby said pencil is readily disposed to the hand of a user and readily detachable from said article for use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction for the above stated purpose which will also swing a pencil, pen or a like elongated instrument to a preselected position with respect to a fixed position of a support therefore.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be understood from the following detailed description thereof.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a side elevation of the new device, a portion of a supporting article shown in broken away section and a pencil supported thereby.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing a modified form of said supporting article and a pen supported thereby. Y

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the new device and showing a further modification of said supporting article.

Figure 4 is a full line top plan view of a barmagnet employed, illustrating, by means of broken lines, the magnetic curves or lines of magnetic force of said magnet about the poles thereof.

Heretofore in instances where a person has employed a lead pencil, pen or the like about a desk and at times when the surface of said desk is cluttered with papers, it has often happened that the pencil upon being disposed on the surface of the desk becomes buried under said papers and not readily at hand and the new device provides means for supporting a pencil above the surface of said desk and from an ornamental mass, the weight of which is useful also for a paper weight.

Also as heretofore practiced lead pencils, pens and the like have been attached to the edge of a vest of a user by means of a spring clip, the latter oftenv being comparatively weak permitting accidental detachment from said edge and the present invention aims to also provide a spring clip which is notreadily or accidentally removable from a vest edge, said spring clip of the present invention being provided with means for readily attaching a pencil thereto in a removable manner, said means being such that the pencil automatically becomes moved to a preselected position of alignment which, if accidentally disturbed, permits the pencil to swing out of alignment until said disturbing factor is removed; whereupon the pencil swings back to said initial, selected position. Also as heretofore practiced pencils have been attached to telephone stands and the like by means of strings whereby said pencils can be found for writing memorandums of telephone conversations and the like, said strings being unsightly and often becoming entangled with the cords of telephone wires and the like and the present invention aims to provide means for obviating the undesirable factors of the prior practice.

Referring now to the drawing for a more particular description In indicates an elongated useful instrument which is supported by means of the present invention, said instrument being .such as or similar to the pencil shown in Figure 1 or the pen shown'in Figure 2.

Referring to Figure 1 the new device, as to the supporting article part thereof, consists of a vacuum-cup ll formed of resilient material such as rubber or the like, said cup being provided with a perimetrical annular edge l2 which if and when manually pressed against a comparatively smooth surface and then released causes said cup to adhere to said surface in a well known manner. A bar-magnet I3 is secured to the cup H by any suitable means such as a brass rivet, liquid adhesive solder or the like, not shown, said magnet being provided with a flat smooth surface ll disposed away from the cup I I for purposes later described.

A second bar i5 having a similar fiat surface I6 is employed, said bar being formed of metal susceptible to magnetic attraction and for certain later described purposes said bar [5 constitutes a second bar-magnet in lieu of a plain metallic bar. The material employed for said magnet or magnets being preferably Alnico permanent magnet material which provides a barmagnet with a comparatively large magnetic field and magnetic force in proportion to the bulk thereof.

To the bar I5 or bar-magnet IS a means for gripping or securing the pen or pencil ill to the bar I5 is provided. As specifically shown in the drawing, said gripping means includes two oppositely disposed resilient fingers I1 and I8 formed preferably of non-magnetic material such as spring brass. The fingers have ends secured to the bar l5 by any suitable means such as solder indicated at IS, the outer free ends of said fingers being normally urged towards each other by the inherent resiliency thereof, whereby at times when the article ID is disposed between said springs the latter grip said article and permit a manual removal thereof from in between said springs, the latter preferably, as best shown in Figure 3, having outwardly disposed end portions 20 and 2! for facilitating a guiding of the elongated article ill between said fingers. The said gripping means or holder may be also formed, if desired, of certain of the ornamental modern plastic materials. 7

As thus described it will be noted that the vacuum-cup ll may be caused to adhere to the side wall of the housing of a telephone receiver instrument; to an electric light fixture about a desk, to the side wall of the housing of a dictating machine and to any approximately smooth, fiat surface as may be desired by a user and in operation said cup H and bar-magnet i3 being secured to said surface, an operator moves the bar 15 within the magnetic field of the magnet i3, said bar being attached to said fingers and the instrument l being secured to the bar l as above described, said operator then releases the instrument ID from his fingers; whereupon the bar clings to the magnet l3 until removed for use, it being understood that the gripping fingers are sufiiciently strong to retain the instrument l0 attached to the bar i5 during removal of the latter from the influence of the magnet l3.

In instances where the bar I5 is formed of said magnetic material and, therefore, constitutes a permanent magnet the instrument l0 may be automatically aligned in a certain position with respect to the surface to which the vacuumcup H is attached and for this purpose said magnets are elongated for disposing the poles thereof spaced apart an appreciable distance for purposes later described.

Referring to the modification shown in Figure 2 the parts thereof are as heretofore described with the exception that the supporting article or vacuum-cup H is omitted and in lieu thereof a different supporting article employed, said different article consisting of a spring clip generally indicated at 22. The clip is substantially U- shape in side elevation having an arm 23 which is secured to the bar-magnet l3 by any suitable means such as solder or the like. The clip 22 is formed preferably of non-magnetic material such as spring brass. The free ends 24 and 25 of the clip flare outwardly and divergently with respect to each other for facilitating attaching said clip to the edge of a vest or other like flexible object, said edge in use being disposed within the loop defined by the clip in side elevation, the edge of said vest pocket in use being disposed against the portion of the clip indicated at 26.

With respect to the modification shown in Figure 2, the bar-magnet I3 thereof is provided with a fiat surface indicated at I4 which is disposed away from the clip 22 and the bar l5 thereof is provided with a similar flat surface l6 for purposes later described and it will be understood that the bar l5 for certain pur-.

poses may consist of a bar-magnet. The operation of the device shown in Figure 2 is similar in all respects to the operation of the modification shown in Figure 1.

With respect to the modification shown in Figure 3, the device is similar to the modifications shown in Figures 1 and 2, with the exception that in lieu of the employment of either the vacuum-cup II or spring clip 22 the supporting article consists of an ornamental mass, which as specifically shown in Figure 3 is in the form of a statue of a dog generally indicated at 21.

The permanent bar-magnet I3" is attached to the jaw of said dog by any suitable means such as solder or the like, being provided with a fiat whereby at times when the dog is positioned upon the fiat surface 3| of a desk or the like, said dog's head and the other portions of the new device are disposed above the surface 3| of said desk. The ornament 21 is preferably formed of brass or other suitable non-magnetic material and in operation the modification shown in Figure 3 is as heretofore described.

Referring to the semi-diagrammatic illustration in Figure 4, the permanent bar-magnet I3 has north and south pole portions, respectively, indicated at 40 and M. Around said poles magnetic curves or lines of magnetic force extend, said curves or lines being represented by magnetic figures formed by means of the irregular dotted lines 42 in a well known manner of illustration. At the time the bars l5, IE or I5" become disposed within the field of their respective permanent magnets l3, l3 and I3", said bars cling to their respective magnets in a well known manner.

For a special purpose and at times when the bars l5, l5 and IS" in lieu of being plain bars of metal consist of permanent bar-magnets, the latter together with the magnets l3, l3 and I3" are cooperatively elongated whereby any of the modifications shown in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive include as to each modification a first and second elongated bar-magnet.

In Figure 4 said second bar-magnet is represented by the dotted lines 43. The second magnet 43 has a north pole 44 and south pole 45, being provided with a smooth surface such as indicated at 16 in Figure 1, said surface being disposed at times during use, against the smooth surface M of the magnet I3, said smooth surfaces permitting swinging movements of the magnet 43 upon the magnet l3, while in contact, said swinging being caused by the north pole 40 of the magnet l3 attracting the south pole 45 of the magnet 43 and the south pole 4| of the magnet l3 attracting the north pole 44 of the magnet 43, whereby the poles of said magnets become disposed in approximate alignment or parallelism.

The pen, pencil or elongated instrument indicated at A in Figure 4, which is attached to the dotted line magnet 43 by suitable means such as the above described gripping device, is correspondingly swung from the position thereof indicated at B to the position indicated at C whereby at the time said swinging movement is consummated the instrument A is thereby disposed in a fixed position with respect to both of said magnets.

In operation and assuming that the member l5" shown in Figure 3 is a permanent bar-magnet and has been placed upon the magnet [3" by the operator transversely with respect to the magnet l3", as indicated by the dotted lines at 50, the instrument I0 is then longitudinally disposed across the oppositely disposed jaws of the dog 21, the operator releasing the instrument II) from his fingers at said time, the bar magnet l5" together with the instrument l0 thereupon automatically swings to a position substantially at a right angle from its initial position as placed by the operator and to a preselected position with respect to the dog 21 and in this manner the operator may govern the final and selected position of the instrument ID by correspondingly positiorliiing the dog 21 upon the surface 3| of said des Similarly with respect to the modification shown in Figure 2 and assuming that the member l5 theredf consists of a permanent barmagnet and that the spring clip 22 is attached to the edge of a vest pocket, a fiexible cloth drapery or the like the instrument l may be caused to be disposed in a preselected position with respect to said drapery or vest pocket edge for facilitating a subsequent grasp by the operator of the instrument l0. Also similarly, with respect to the modification shown in Figure 1, and assuming that the operator has aflixed the vacuum-cup l l to the side of a telephone receiver housing so that the magnet I3 is in a selected position with respect to said housing, the instrument I0 is caused to be disposed in a corresponding position with respect to said housing and complemental to the fixed position of the vacuum-cup II and with respect to said housing for not only supporting the instrument I0 but also causing it to swing out of the way upon its support when released by the operator and into a position whereby it may be readily grasped for use.

In detaching the bar or bar-magnet I5 from the bar magnet l3 the same is facilitated by moving the member I5 in a direction parallel with respect to the surface H of the magnet l3, whereby said smooth surfaces i6 and it slide one upon another until the member I5 is removed exteriorly of the magnet field of the member l3. .7

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a magnetic holder for pencils or the like constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with whichit may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish it to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice except as claimed.

I claim:

1. A holding device for an instrument comprising an elongated magnet, means carried by said magnet to clasp the instrument, a support, and means carried by said support for removably holding said magnet and instrument in a predetermined position, said means comprising a second elongated magnet adapted to attract said first named magnet and swing it to said predetermined position.

2. A holding device for an instrument comprising an elongated magnet, means carried by said magnet to clasp the instrument, a support, and means carried by said support for removably holding said magnet and instrument in a predetermined position, said means comprising a second elongated magnet adapted to attract said first named magnet and swing it to said predetermined position, said support comprising a manually operated gripping member for detachably engaging a selected supporting surface.

3. A holding device for an instrument comprising an elongated magnet, means carried by said magnet to clasp the instrument, a support, and means carried by ably holding said magnet and instrument in a predetermined position, said means comprising a second elongated magnet adapted to attract said first named magnet and swing it to said predetermined position, said support comprising a spring clip for removably attaching the second magnet to a selected supporting surface.

said support for remov-" 4. A holding device for an instrument comprising an elongated magnet, means carried by said magnet to clasp the instrument, a support, and means carried by said support for removably holding said magnet and instrument in a predetermined position, said means comprising a second elongated magnet adapted to attract said first named magnet and swing it to said predetermined position, said support comprising a resilient vacuum cup, the perimetrical edge of said cup being adapted to be compacted against a smooth surface and released for removably attaching said cup and second named magnet to said surface.

5. A holding device for a pencil or the like comprising an elongated bar magnet, a pair of oppositely disposed spaced springs having ends secured to the magnet, the other ends of said springs being normally urged toward each other for gripping the pencil therebetween, a support, and a second elongated bar-magnet carried by said support and adapted to attract saidfirst named magnet and swing it into alignment with the second magnet for disposing the pencil in a predetermined position.

6. A holding device for a pencil or the like comprising an elongated bar-magnet, means carried by said magnet to grip said pencil, the barmagnet having a smooth surface, a support, a second bar-magnet carried by said support and having a smooth surface, said smooth surfaces of the magnets being of substantially equal area and adapted to be manually brought into proximity with each other, whereby unlike poles of said magnets will attract each other to cause the first named magnet to swing into alignment with the second named magnet to dispose the pencil in substantially parallel relation to the longitudinal axis of the second named magnet and in a predetermined position with respect to said surface.

7. In a device for supporting a pencil or the like in a predetermined position with respect to a support, an elongated bar-magnet, pencil engaging means carried by said magnet and a second bar-magnet carried by the support and adapted to engage said first named magnet and hold it in a predetermined position with respect to the support.

8. A holding device for a writing instrument comprising a metal element susceptible to magnetic attraction, means carried by said metal element for engaging the writing instrument, a magnet adapted to attract and support said metal element and the instrument carried thereby, and a resilient gripping member carried by said magnet and adapted to detachably engage a supporting surface.

9. A holding device for a writing instrument comprising a metal element susceptible to magnetic attraction, means carried by said metal element for engaging the writing instrument, a

magnet adapted to attract and support said metal element and the instrument carried thereby, and a resilient gripping member carried by said magnet and adapted to detachably engage a supporting surface, said gripping member comprising a resilient vacuum cup adapted to be pressed against a plane supporting surface to removably attach the magnet to the supporting surface.

PAUL J. SMITH. 

